


Connections

by fangirl_squee



Series: homies help homies, always [24]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-10 23:41:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Really, if Grantaire had been less vague in his introduction of Marius it probably would have cleared things up. As it is, they're a mystery. Courfeyrac hates a mystery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Connections

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented or left kudos on this series so far, you guys are amazing and wonderful and lovely!
> 
> This is set after 'Meetings'.

Combeferre wraps up the meeting after Grantaire storms out, voice calming and tone even. Marius grabs their bags and follows behind Grantaire, waving goodbye to Cosette as he leaves. They both avoid looking towards the front of the room. The remaining Les Amis sit around quietly, watching the front of the room warily as Combeferre attempts to calm Enjolras down.

 

It’s not that Courfeyrac has never seen anyone disagree with Enjolras before; it’s more that he’s never seen anyone disagree with Enjolras that loudly for that long. He’s certainly never seen anyone rattle off Enjolras’ factual errors and omissions that bluntly. Grantaire is either very brave or very stupid, or a combination of both. Courfeyrac admires it, whatever it is.

 

He leans back slightly in his chair, tilting towards Cosette. “So, who’s your new friend? And what did Enjolras do to make you inflict that on him?”

 

Cosette frowns. “I didn’t know that would happen. They came up to me when I was handing out flyers during the week, so I told them about the meeting.” She sighs. “I don’t know why Marius brought Grantaire though, if he truly believes in such a pessimistic outlook.”

 

“Maybe he felt too nervous to come on his own or the first time without his boyfriend,” says Jehan. He’s smiling a little at Courfeyrac, and Courfeyrac smiles back, stretching out as hand to twine their fingers together. It’s how Jehan became involved in Les Amis.

 

“Oh,” says Cosette, frown deepening a little.

 

Eponine pokes her with her elbow. “There’s _no way_ Marius is Grantaire’s boyfriend. He blushed any time Cosette even so much as looked at him.”

 

“That doesn’t mean they’re not dating,” says Courfeyrac, “he could just be awful at talking to new people, or to girls, or he could be, like, a serial cheater or something.”

 

“I don’t think he seems like the type for that,” says Cosette.

 

“I think we need to meet him more than once before we can make a decision about his character,” says Jehan.

 

“Well, not much chance of that,” says Eponine, “not given the way things ended today.”

 

They nod in agreement. This is just going to be one of those things that becomes a group mystery – something you idly discuss at group gatherings and parties that will never really be solved.

 

But Grantaire and Marius _do_ turn up for the next meeting. They arrive together, leave together, and sit together. Cosette sits on Marius’ other side after their second meeting, and although Marius turns an alarming shade of pink and looks at her whenever she looks away from him, he doesn’t make any hint about wanting to date her.

 

Jehan is incredibly amused by the fact that it’s slowly driving Courfeyrac _insane_. It’s not that he cares whether or not they’re dating, and Cosette doesn’t seem to be getting any hurt feelings over it (although she’s _clearly_ got a crush on Marius). Courfeyrac just really hates a mystery.

 

He waits until their next meeting, and then catches them before they leave. Cosette’s speaking to Enjolras about flyer distribution, and Eponine has managed to distract Grantaire with questions about his sketches to keep him seated (today’s sketch: Jehan in a meadow, surrounded by the other Les Amis as cartoony woodland animals). Courfeyrac swings his chair around; leaning back on it in what he hopes is and casual manner.

 

“So,” he says, interrupting, “you two have been coming to meetings for a while now. I think it’s time we got to know each other better.”

 

“No, we don’t want to have a foursome with you and Jehan,” said Grantaire, straight-faced, “but thank you for the offer.”

 

Eponine lets out a snort of laughter. Grantaire grins at him, then turns to raise his eyebrows at Marius, who makes a choked-laugh noise.

 

“Well, as much as I appreciate you letting me down in such a kind manner,” says Courfeyrac, “I was thinking more along the lines of you both personally. Childhoods and such.”

 

“Well, Marius avoided all social contact and I avoided most of my classes, so there’s that,” says Grantaire.

 

“I wasn’t _avoiding_ social contact,” says Marius, “I just preferred reading in the meadow to sitting in the dorms.”

 

“It’s why he has so many freckles,” says Grantaire, smiling at him.

 

Marius flicks him on the arm. “I was born with this many freckles.”

 

Courfeyrac would continue his investigation, but Cosette has wrapped up with Enjolras, and Marius stands quickly to meet her by the door. Grantaire makes goodbyes on behalf of both of them, and they leave soon after that.

 

“Well?” says Jehan.

 

“I think they’re childhood sweethearts,” says Courfeyrac.

 

“What, no,” says Eponine, “I think they’ve just been friends a really long time.”

 

“Yeah, they’ve been friends a really long time, and now they’re dating,” says Courfeyrac.

 

“You are so full of it,” says Eponine.

 

There’s a long weekend coming up, so their usual meeting gets pushed forward a little. Courfeyrac has been waiting for such an opportunity to present itself. The nature of shared plans should clear things up, and it gives him an excuse to ask about family.

 

“So,” says Courfeyrac, “what are you guys doing for the long weekend? Going to visit family?”

 

Grantaire makes a face. “I’m pretty sure they’re rather I didn’t.”

 

“What Grantaire _means_ is,” says Marius, before Courfeyrac can ask for an actual explanation, “that not everybody gets along with their family well enough to want to see them all the time.”

 

Grantaire laughs. “That’s an incredibly positive way of putting it.”

 

“So, Marius, you’re not seeing your family either?” asks Courfeyrac.

 

Which, yeah, maybe he is being a little more blunt than he usually is, but these two are more ambiguous than that dragon from Merlin (he would mind that Jehan is trying to make him marathon the entire show, but sometimes afterwards Jehan will call him _my lord_ in this breathy tone, and, well, he gets distracted pretty quickly after that).

 

“Oh,” says Marius, “no, I don’t think so. It’s kind of complicated?”

 

Jehan diverts them all quickly after that, talking about how his mother is having their entire family over for some sort of weekend-long barbeque. Grantaire slings his arm around Marius as they leave, and Marius leans into his shoulder.

 

“Maybe they’re, like, foster brothers?” says Courfeyrac.

 

“Maybe,” says Eponine.

 

“Maybe they’re foster brothers who _are_ dating, and that’s why everything is so,” Jehan searches for the right phrasing, “murky and ambiguous.”

 

Courfeyrac grins at him. He loves that Jehan will go along with him like this. “So your money’s on forbidden love?”

 

“Are we putting money on this now?” says Eponine.

 

Courfeyrac thinks for a moment, then nods. “Sure, why not? I put ten on foster siblings of some kind.”

 

“I’ll put five on forbidden love,” says Jehan.

 

Eponine looks considering for a moment, then says, “Put me and Cosette down for five each on childhood friends.”

 

All of the Les Amis, barring Combeferre (who knows about the betting pool, but won’t place a bet himself) and Enjolras (who remains clueless about the whole thing, as usual), place small bets over the next month. Unfortunately, the nature of Grantaire and Marius’ relationship remains a mystery. Any attempt to ask about families, childhood, or dating history is met with ambiguous half-answers. Obviously, Courfeyrac has no choice but to bring out the big guns – he asks Joly and Bossuet to bring their girlfriend Musichetta to a meeting. If Musichetta can’t get it out of them, it’s not possible.

 

They arrive late for the meeting (together, as always). Marius looks like he’s trying not to laugh as they take their seats, shoulders shaking with it, and Grantaire is grinning wide. When Enjolras glares at them, Grantaire shushes Marius in a stage whisper, setting off Marius’ giggles again.

 

After the meeting, Courfeyrac takes Musichetta over to meet Marius and Grantaire. “I have heard so much about you both,” she says, kissing them both on the cheek in greeting.

 

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” says Grantaire, grinning.

 

Musichetta laughs, then says, “so tell me, where did the two of you meet?”

 

“Well,” says Grantaire, grinning widely, “he –“

 

“I was looking for a place to live,” says Marius, quickly and loudly.

 

Grantaire laughs, grin still in place as he adds, “I had some flyers up on campus at the start of the year, looking for a housemate. Marius called, and since he had pretty much no other options, he moved in straight away.”

 

“I had other options,” protests Marius, voice now back at a normal volume.

 

“Sure, if you consider living in your car as a viable option,” says Grantaire.

 

Courfeyrac desperately wants Musichetta to ask about that too, but instead she says, “well thank goodness you came along then, Grantaire.”

 

“Yes,” says Marius, smiling.

 

Grantaire smiles back.

 

“So, you’ve only know each other since the start of the year? I thought you guys went to high school together,” says Courfeyrac.

 

“Nope,” says Grantaire, still smiling, “just the start of this year.”

 

Grantaire nudges Marius with his elbow, directing his attention to where Cosette appears to be wrapping up her conversation with Combeferre and Enjolras. Marius quickly excuses himself and heads over.

 

Musichetta smiles. “Marius likes her quite a lot, doesn’t he?”

 

Grantaire laughs, “oh, he’s completely, totally, and utterly in love with her. I keep telling him to just ask her out, but he’s waiting for _the right time_.”

 

“Perhaps you will have to create the right time for him,” says Musichetta.

 

A grin slowly breaks across Grantaire’s face. “That is an excellent idea. You are a wonderful woman; I can see why Joly and Bossuet are so utterly enamoured with you.”

 

Musichetta, in her easy grace, inclines her head slightly in acknowledgment. “They are quite wonderful too.”

 

Grantaire’s smiles as he looks over Courfeyrac’s shoulder. “If you would both excuse me, I think my ride is headed out. It was lovely to meet you Musichetta.”

 

Courfeyrac follows his line of sight, to where Marius is gesturing to the door, and laughs.

 

“Oh, and Courfeyrac?  I think that makes your betting pool a tie, so I would think everyone gets back even money.”

 

Courfeyrac gapes.

 

Musichetta laughs. “I like that boy. Good sense of humour.”

 

Marius waves cheerfully to Cosette as they head out, and Grantaire slings an easy arm around his shoulders.

 

 

(Grantaire overhears about the bet by accident.

 

Joly and Courfeyrac sit next to him as he dozes through Combeferre’s speech, and start discussing it as soon as the meeting is concluded. It does explain Courfeyrac’s sudden interest in his and Marius’ childhood and early schooling.

 

He spends most of their conversation trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of some of the bets, especially since Joly’s money is apparently on Grantaire and Marius being ‘childhood sweethearts’.

 

He tells Marius, obviously, even though he’s sure that Marius will want to tell Courfeyrac the truth outright. Marius wrinkles him nose at the mention of romantic involvement.

 

“Yeah,” says Grantaire, “I know right? We’d be a _terrible_ couple.”

 

After the next meeting, Courfeyrac asks what their favourite subjects were in school.

 

Marius smiles, gaze flicking slightly to Grantaire as he says, “probably art, I always had the most fun in art. Although I think that was because the people more than the class.”

 

Grantaire grins. “Well, I did normally turn up for that class.”

 

He expects Marius to take that as an opening to tell Courfeyrac that they went to different schools, but instead Marius just says, “and you were in history class pretty regularly too.”

 

He’s smiling across at Grantaire, although the corner of his lips are twitching like they want to break into a full-blown grin. They manage to last through ten minutes of conversation about their heavily-implied-but-not-expressly-stated shared classes, and they make it all the way to the car before they start laughing.

 

“We really should tell them though,” says Marius, once they’ve managed to calm down.

 

“How about this,” says Grantaire, “we’ll answer directly when they ask directly.”

 

Marius nods, and holds out a hand. They shake on it.)

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is loved always and forever: fangirl-squee.tumblr.com/ask


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